PTACC Teaching Resources Submitted by. Diane L. Finley, PhD Prince George's Community College Largo MD

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1 1 PTACC Teaching Resources 2011 Submitted by Diane L. Finley, PhD Prince George's Community College Largo MD The resource I developed is used primarily for online and hybrid classes although some of our faculty use pieces of it in face-to-face classes. The resource is called the Plagiarism/Library Module. I developed the module because I found that my online students simply did not know how to use the library. It was impossible to schedule a live session of library instruction. I also found it difficult to get them to really understand the information literacy components even though I would talk about them throughout the course. To address these difficulties, I create this module in collaboration with the library staff. The librarian develops the Library information and tailors it to each course and its major writing assignment. A librarian then "visits" each online class for a week, answering questions and verifying their article choices. I have noticed a significant difference in the term projects and essays since requiring this unit. I get very few non peer-reviewed journal sources (usually from students who did not participate in the module) and their APA formatting is much closer to the ideal. Students reference the web evaluation tutorial in their choice of sources in discussion boards following the completion of this module. Collecting these related skills into one module has also allowed students to focus for a few days on these topics. It is a module that can easily be modified to fit any institution and it can be used in any format class.

2 2 Plagiarism/Library Module Module Objectives 1. Explore the use of the Library databases. 2. Identify a refereed/peer-reviewed journal article. 3. Correctly write the citation for a journal article in APA format. 4. Identify the sections of a journal article. 5. Complete the plagiarism tutorial. 6. Complete the paraphrasing tutorial. 7. Complete the web evaluation (information literacy) activity. The PGCC Library (Librarians give the same instruction for face-to-face classes - this could easily be modified by the librarian at individual institutions) Prince George's Community College elearning PSY GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY Finding Refereed Journal Articles Discussion Board-Librarian will check for questions February 15-17, 2011 Introduction The Prince George's Community College Library is located on the first and second floors of Accokeek Hall. The Reference area is on the first floor. A professional Librarian who will assist you with research questions is on duty at all hours that the Library is open. All online services are available on the World Wide Web. Also, an interactive online Tutorial for using the Library and conducting research is available via the Library web site. The Library web site is the home page on the computer screens in the Library Reference area and has the link to the Research Databases on its menu. The Library web site is linked to the Prince George's Community College web site. Goals and Objectives The goal of this project is to learn basic principles of searching in an electronic environment. In particular, these principles will be used to find articles from refereed journals. The specific objectives include: 1)Applying the basics of Boolean searching in a database search, 2)Differentiating between magazine articles, journal articles, and refereed journal articles, 3)Critically evaluating an article and 4)Utilizing electronic and print method to manage articles. APA Style The assignments for this course require correct use of American Psychological Association (APA) style. Links to information on APA style and examples may be found at these sites: Tip: See page 4 of this guide for the citation style for articles from databases APA Formatting and Style Guide (Owl at Purdue) Tip: To cite articles from research databases and to cite additional electronic sources, refer to the specific page "Reference List: Electronic Sources" Tip: Owl at Purdue also has an example of a research paper written in APA style.

3 3 KnightCite Citation Machine Tip: Be sure to select APA Citation Style for this course. Basics of APA Style Tutorial coordinates with the new 6th edition of the style manual published by the American Psychological Association. Important Terms for this Project DATABASE-an index and collection of documents in digital format and searchable by computer REFEREED (=PEER REVIEWED) JOURNAL-a periodical that contains scholarly articles which were reviewed and judged by experts in the subject field prior to publication. The articles often contain research data, charts and graphs, and a list of sources. Example: Journal of Abnormal Psychology MAGAZINE-a periodical that contains popular articles written by journalists and intended for the general reader. Magazine articles often are meant to entertain, lack in-depth research, and may contain many photographs. Example: Sports Illustrated BOOLEAN SEARCHING-a method of online searching that relates key concepts of a search topic using the operators and, or, and not ABSTRACT-a summary of the article, usually in a few sentences. More definitions may be found in the Library Tutorial section "Definitions of Library Terms". More information on the distinctions between journals and magazines may be found in the Library Tutorial section "Magazines, Journals and Newspapers: What's the Difference?" Choosing a Research Topic Within the guidelines of the assignment, choose a research topic that is of interest to yourself so that you enjoy doing the research. Narrow a broad topic to one that is specific. Example: BROAD SUBJECT: children MORE NARROW SUBJECT: children and anxiety SPECIFIC SUBJECT: How are children affected by separation anxiety? The specific topic sentence of your research will point to the types of information that you will use, which databases are most appropriate to use, and whether the dates of your sources of information will be important. For more information, see the Library Tutorial section "Narrowing the Topic". Key Concepts and Boolean Operators Identify the key terms of your topic. These are the specific terms that define the topic and are the only terms that should be used in your electronic searching. In the example above, How are children affected by separation anxiety?, there are two key concepts: 1)children 2)separation anxiety USE QUOTATION MARKS " " before and after a phrase, two or more words that must be together in a defined order. Example: <"separation anxiety"> Next, use Boolean operators to relate the terms: AND retrieves only articles that contain all the terms and will narrow the search. Example: <"separation anxiety" and children> OR retrieves articles with any of the terms and will broaden the search. Example:<children or kids> NOT eliminates articles containing the second term even when the first term is present. This will narrow the search. Example: <children not teenagers> USE PARENTHESES () to group, or 'nest' the parts of a search. Example:<"separation anxiety" and

4 4 (children or kids)> USE an ASTERISK * as a wild card. Example:<biolog*> retrieves articles with the words biology, biological, biologist For more information, see the Library Tutorial section "Search Strategies". Locating Refereed (Peer-Reviewed) Articles in Research Databases: PsychARTICLES, Academic OneFile, and Psychology Journals (ProQuest) The link for the Research Databases is on the Library web site. Click on the Research Databases link, then on the name of the database that you wish to use. For off-campus access to the databases, you will also need to use your Owl Link User ID and password. This will be the same User ID and Password that you use when you when you log in to Blackboard or your mypgcc student . Your User ID and Password will be requested each time that you use the databases off-campus. Any problems regarding this procedure are to be directed to the Technology Help Desk, , HelpDesk@pgcc.edu To use PsycARTICLES: PsycARTICLES database is a resource for refereed journal articles in the discipline of psychology. The majority of the articles are full-text. At the Library web site, in the menu on the left, click <Research Databases.> The list of databases is in alphabetical order. Scroll down and click on PsycARTICLES. The Quick Search screen option will appear. Type your search using your key concepts and Boolean operators. Before entering the search, select the date range appropriate to the assignment. Then, click <Search>. A list of citations of articles appears that match the specific search criteria that you entered. Results will be grouped under tabs with the headings <All Publication Types>, <Journals>, <Peer-Reviewed Journals>, and <Conferences>. Click on the underlined number on the tab labeled <Peer-Reviewed Journals> to ensure that you are using the correct type of article for this assignment. The abstract summarizes the article. Read the abstract first for an initial indication of the content of the article and its usefulness for your project. The list of results will provide the citation of the article and a brief excerpt. To read the entire article, click on either <Full-Text HTML> or <Full-Text PDF>. In addition to this basic search, PsycARTICLES has advanced search features and also may be searched by publication title under the Browse tab. To use Academic OneFile: Academic OneFile database is a resource for refereed journal articles in many disciplines as well as magazine articles. The majority of the articles are full-text. At the Library web site, click <Research Databases>. The list of databases is in alphabetical order. Scroll down and click on Academic OneFile. The Basic Search screen appears. Click on "Search for words in: keyword." Click to limit the results to documents with full text and also to limit the results to peerreviewed publications. Limiting the search to documents with full text will get only results in which the entire article is available in the database. Limiting the search to peer reviewed publications will retrieve only those articles that were published in refereed journals. Type your search using your key concepts and Boolean operators. Select a date range if the date of article publication is relevant. Then, click <Search>. A list of titles of articles appears that match the specific search criteria that you entered. Results will be in chronological order with the most recently published article first. To read a particular article in its entirety, click on its title. Most articles will begin with an abstract. Read the abstract first for an initial indication of the content of the article and its usefulness for your project. In addition to this basic search, Academic OneFile has a Subject Guide Search, a Publication Search, and an Advanced Search.

5 5 To use Psychology Journals (ProQuest): Psychology Journals (ProQuest) research database is a resource for both refereed journal articles and magazine articles. The majority of the articles are full-text. At the Library web site, in the menu on the left, click <Research Databases> The list of databases is in alphabetical order. Scroll down and click <Psychology Journals (ProQuest)>. The Basic Search screen appears. Type your search using your key concepts and Boolean operators. Before entering the search, click <Full Text Articles only> to get only results in which the entire article is available in the database. Also, click on <Scholarly Journals, including peer-reviewed> to retrieve only those articles that were published in refereed (peer-reviewed) journals. Select a date range if the date of article publication is relevant. Then, click <Search> A list of citations of articles appears that match the specific search criteria that you entered. Results will be in chronological order with the most recently published article first. To read a particular article in its entirety, click on its title. Most articles will begin with an abstract. Read the abstract first for an initial indication of the content of the article and its usefulness for your project. In addition to this basic search, Psychology Journals (ProQuest) has advanced search features and also may be searched by publication title. For more information, see the Library Tutorial section "Searching ProQuest". Evaluating the Articles Critically evaluate the articles that you have retrieved. The following are important criteria: AUTHOR-Is the author an authority on the subject? What are the author's credentials? COVERAGE-What is the length of the article? Does the article address the topic in depth? OBJECTIVITY-Is the article based on facts? Does the author express opinions which are not supported by facts? DATE-Is the information in the article current? SOURCE-In what type of periodical was the article published? AUDIENCE-Is the article intended for a professional in the field, an informed reader, or a general audience? For more information, see the Library Tutorial section "Evaluating Sources: Periodical Articles" Managing the Articles PsycARTICLES, Academic OneFile, and Psychology Journals (ProQuest ) research databases enable you to an article to yourself, save the article to a flash drive, or print the article. In PsycARTICLES: -In the browser menu, go to File>Send>Page by . Accurately type your address to send to yourself. Each article must be ed individually. SAVE TO FLASH DRIVE-connect flash drive to the USB port. With the full text of the article on the screen, click on the File menu at upper left. Click save as. Save in the designated drive for the flash drive. For type choose "text file". Give the file a name. Click Save. PRINT-With the full text of the article on the screen, click on File menu at upper left. Click on Print. Note that when using a computer in the Library Reference and Research area, printouts are picked up at the Circulation Counter. The cost is $0.10 per printed page. In Academic OneFile and Psychology Journals (ProQuest ): -With the full text of the article on the screen, click on . Accurately type your address in the space provided. Fill in the subject line to indicate to yourself the content. Send. SAVE TO FLASH DRIVE-connect flash drive to the USB port. With the full text of the article on the

6 6 screen, click on the File menu at upper left. Click save as. Save in the designated drive for the flash drive. For type choose "text file". Give the file a name. Click Save. PRINT-With the full text of the article on the screen, click on Print Preview to reformat. Then, in the window that appears, click on Print. Note that when using a computer in the Library Reference and Research area, printouts are picked up at the Circulation Counter. The cost is $0.10 per printed page. E Reference Books The Gale Virtual Reference Library is a collection of specialized encyclopedias and other reference books in digital form. It is searchable with keywords and Boolean operators. Searching tips for the Gale Virtual Reference Library are also available online. The Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology, 2nd Ed., 2001; the Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol, and Addictive Behavior, 2nd Ed., 4v, 2001; and the Encyclopedia of Sociology, 2nd Ed., 5v, 2000 are among the titles available. The Gale Virtual Reference Library is included in the list of the Library's Research Databases. Additional Information A reference source for information relating to psychology is the Online Subject Guide-Psychology. It includes print sources and links to Internet sites of psychology dictionaries, encyclopedias, statistics, professional associations, and gateway web sites. Norma A. Schmidt Librarian for elearning Prince George's Community College Plagiarism Plagiarism is a very serious behavior. It can result in failing an assignment or a course. It can even result in expulsion and it can go of your transcript. Plagiarism can be unintentional. That will not negate the fact that it is plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious issue in publishing and in academia. ANY plagiarism will be penalized. This penalty can include failure of the assignment, failure of the course or more serious College or University sanctions. (See the catalogue for a full description of penalties.) Plagiarism means, in the simplest terms, using someone else's work or ideas without crediting the original source. You may certainly refer to written works, web site or other's comments but you must give them credit. Failure to do so is plagiarism. It is plagiarism even if you do not directly quote the original source. It is plagiarism EVEN IF IT IS UNINTENTIONAL. If you are unsure about whether or not you should cite something, check with me. Alternatively, it is better to overcite than undercite. Plagiarism is more than copying from another sources without credit. You may describe Freud's theory of development but you must identify it as Freud's and you must credit your source (even if it is not the original source by Freud). You may summarize an article that you read but you must indicate the source. If you copy verbatim, you must enclose those quotes in quotation marks and include page numbers. Submitting work done by another student or prepared by someone else (e.g. a website) is a form of plagiarism. PLAGIARISM IS A VERY SERIOUS OFFENSE. If you are not clear about what constitutes plagiarism, ask!!!!!!!!!

7 7 Two sites to help you learn more about plagiarism: Plagiarism Excuses: The following are excuses used by students who have plagiarized. Note that none of them are legitimate. Please make sure you are clear about what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it. I did not have enough time to do the proper research. I have never done this type of paper before. I was just sloppy; I didn t intend to plagiarize. I forgot to write down the sources. This material is general knowledge, as least as far as I know. Other plagiarism traps: (this is not an exhaustive list) using someone else s material using a paper done by another student (without proper citation) cutting and pasting from an internet site submitting a paper you completed previously for another class not using quotation marks when directly quoting someone elses words not citing a statistic Paraphrasing Paraphrasing means putting research material you read into your own words. It is an essential writing skill since most of us use other people's information in our own writing. The following websites explain how to paraphrase. First go to these URLs and work through the tutorials on paraphrasing. Turnitin Most students are honest and turn in original work. I expect that you will do so. Sometimes, though, students copy material from a source without properly acknowledging it. Sometimes this is unintentional, sometimes it is not. Sometimes students hand in work that has been done by someone else or otherwise act academically dishonest. If you read all of the material on Plagiarism and follow the APA Manual you are less likely to have a problem. But just in case, I use the service of Turnitin.com to check on papers. This service requires you to electronically submit your paper to it. I then get a report on the sources you used in your paper. It is important that you keep a copy of all of your drafts and copies of all articles used in your papers in case I need to look at them. You can find out more about this service by going to Since you know about this issue now, if I find that you have plagiarized, on purpose or not, you may receive a lowered grade, including a possible zero on the assignment. In addition, if the report shows that the paper was substantially plagiarized, you may be reported for academic dishonesty, e.g. cheating.

8 8 Plagiarism is considered a serious offense in the College and elsewhere, If you do it twice, you can be expelled and information may appear on your transcript. If you are not sure about your use of sources, consult the Writing Center or ask me. If you object to having your paper submitted through Turnitin.com, you must contact me by the end of this week of class. I will be using Turnitin.com this term to check papers that are submitted. This service helps to detect plagiarism in your papers so it is critical that you understand what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. Papers that contain substantial plagiarism will receive penalties, including failure with no opportunity to redo. This site has some information on plagiarism ( and you can consult materials on my homepage. The Writing Center can also help you. Your work will become part of the Turnitin.com archives. If you have a problem with this, you will need to come in and see me. If you do not want to submit to this service, you will need to keep copies of all materials consulted as well as each of your drafts and submit those to me (in person by putting them in my Marlboro 2054 mailbox.) Assignments will be submitted directly to Turnitin through Blackboard. Reading a Journal Article It is important that you read these before looking at journal articles. While some journal articles can be very dense, most are quite readable - once you know how. A journal article is not like reading an article in a popular magazine. First, you have to identify the type of article. Some are reviews of other research or academic books. Some are theoretical articles. You are looking for an article that is data-driven. In other words, you are looking for a study where the researchers collected data, analyzed that data and reported the results. Be sure you read the entire article before choosing it. You want to make sure that you can actually read and understand the article you choose. Do NOT merely choose by the title. Here are some links that can help you learn how to read a journal article: Assignments: 1) APA Tutorials Go to the APA Style homepage at: Complete two tutorials: 1) on basic APA style 2) on changes in the Sixth edition Once you complete the tutorials, submit a statement - in the text box - saying "I acknowledge that I have completed both APA tutorials and am familiar with APA format. I understand I need to know this in order to do well on papers in this class."

9 9 2) VAIL Plagiarism Tutorial You are to visit the University of Maryland University College's VAIL tutorial on avoiding plagiarism. You must complete the test with at least 85%. At the end you will the certificate to yourself. You will then post it in the assignment folder below. Click on Vail Tutor and complete. Be sure to the certificate to yourself so that you can post it in the Assignment area below. You must post the completed certificate. Post your document showing your score. Your Name: Your Address: Once you complete the quiz, you will see the above lines. Fill in your name and correct . Then click score You will see the following: Your final Score is: 57% To receive a certificate of completion you need to score 65% or above. Review the Modules, then take the test again. While VAIL accepts a score of 65% as passing, you need a score of 85% to complete the assignment for me. Review the modules and retake the quiz. Once you complete with a passing score you will see the following: You will need to save the box showing your score. Put your cursor next to the word Congratulations. Highlight the rest of the box, including your score. Right click, copy to a WORD document. Save that file as yourlastnamevailscore. You will do the same with the certificate that comes to your mailbox. Save as yourlastnamecertificateofcompletion. You will submit both this document and the certificate sent to your address. Congratulations! Diane Finley Your final Score is: 98% Report of Successful Completion May 24, 2009 You have successfully completed the VAIL Plagiarism Tutorial! For more resources, please visit the VAIL Student Portal. This certificate will not be saved. Please print for your records. A copy has been sent to your address if supplied 3) Web Evaluation Tutorial Complete the following tutorials on evaluation of web sources:

10 10 Using the tools you gathered from these tutorials, evaluate the following websites. You should write at least a paragraph about each website and must reference the information in the tutorials. (Note that these points are NOT automatic - there are correct answers) 1) 2) 3) 4) Library Conference DB 1) read all of the information about the library in the Learning Module. 2) Next, using the databases, find a peer-reviewed (refereed) article that you can use in the Essay (see the syllabus for description of the Essay). 3) Post the title of the article and title of the journal here as well. Put your citation in APA format. The librarian will help you determine if it is refereed and appropriate for use in the Essay. Be sure to also tell us what your intended career is. Otherwise, there is no way to know if it is related. (For face-to-face classes, students complete this during a library instruction visit)